Thursday, July 31, 2014

Today’s spoonful is going to consist of a useful Russian phrase and a poem in Russian. Don’t worry if you don’t understand the poem. The reason for reading out loud is so that you can get more familiar with the Russian sounds.

As you’ve probably noticed I started this podcast with the expression Добрый день translated as ‘Good afternoon’. There is also Доброе утро (‘Good morning’) and Добрый вечер (‘Good evening’). So when is the appropriate time of the day to use these expressions? Most Russians use the following time frames for them. For example, use Доброе утро from 6am till noon. Use Добрый деньfrom noon till 6pm...and Добрый вечер is used anytime past 6pm and before bedtime.

Now here’s your chance to practice saying Доброе утро, Добрый день, andДобрый вечер in Russian. First I say the phrase, then you’ll hear a sound - that will be your prompt to repeat the phrase after me. Then I repeat the phrase one last time, so you can check your pronunciation. Давайте начнем. Let’s begin.

Доброе утро

Добрый день

Добрый вечер

Замечательно! Wonderful! And now for the poem. I will be reading one of the most popular poems written by Sergei Esenin in 1913. It’s called БЕРЕЗА (The Birch-Tree). It was part of my middle school program, and I can still recite it by memory. The Birch-TreeJust below my windowStands a birch-tree white,Under snow in winterGleaming silver bright.On the fluffy branchesSparkling in a rowDangle pretty tasselsOf the purest snowThere the birch in silenceSlumbers all day longAnd the snow gleams brightlyIn the golden sun.And the dawn demurelyGoing on its roundsWith a silver mantleDecks again the boughs

(translation by Peter Tempest)

This is your spoonful of Russian for today.

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